Prendeville, Hildebrand Fast; Hall Stalled at Upstate New York Trials

Brit Scuttled for Watkins Glen Debut

by Linda K Mansfield
lindakmansfield@cs.com

Andrew Prendeville and J.R. Hildebrand had a successful test day with their Firestone Indy Lights cars yesterday at Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, N.Y. as the RLR/Andersen Racing team prepared for a doubleheader to be held there July 5th.

Unfortunately another one of the Palmetto, Fla.-based team's drivers, Charles Hall, only got a handful of laps of testing in on Wednesday due to mechanical problems with a car the team leased from another team. Without that valuable seat time, Hall and the teams jointly decided to postpone his Firestone Indy Lights debut for now.

Hall, of Sheffield, England, is the current point leader in the Star Madza Championship presented by Goodyear.

"We struggled all day with Charles's car, so we've withdrawn his entry in the Watkins Glen doubleheader," said team co-owner John Andersen. "Other competitors in the paddock did everything they could to try to help us in a variety of ways, and the people from Speedway Engines went above and beyond in their efforts. We had fuel pressure and electrical problems, and we just couldn't get it sorted out in time to give Charles enough laps. His Firestone Indy Lights debut is postponed for now, but we all expect that it'll happen sometime before the end of the year. In the meantime, his focus remains the Star Mazda Championship."

Andersen said he was very happy with the progress made during the test with the team's other two cars. Prendeville drives the Best Friends Animal Society No. 5, while Hildebrand is at the controls of the Allied Interior Products No. 25.

The July 5 Firestone Indy Lights doubleheader at Watkins Glen will mark the first time in that series' history when two races are held on the same day.